Hone to Sugai
by Astanine
Summary: Abandoned on Jan. 3, 2006. It was abandoned due to no ideas for a interesting plot. Just some cool characters/"gifts" was all I had. Title is Japanese, literally "Bones and Bloodshed."


Hone (hoh-nay) – "Bone" – Original name: Alexander / Zander – Age: 18 – Gender: male

Satsugai / Sugai (saht-soo-geye) – "Bloodshed" – Original name: Erika – Age: 18 – Gender: female

_Prologue_

"Let me GO!" There was a loud smack as a clawed hand hit its target.

The man restraining a woman released her upon impact, cursing as blood trickled down his face. "Restrain her!" he bellowed through clenched teeth. Armed men pointed sharp swords at her. A blinding red light flooded the woman's eyes. _Trapped._

With one last surge of determination, she dislocated the one thing that they hadn't been able to strip from her, Ast's power, to send it hurtling across space and time. With that final use of strength, she fell to the ground, black hair pooling out against the blood red light.

_Chapter 1: Transfer_

Erika woke with a start. A warm liquid dribbled down her forehead. Wiping away the sweat with the back of her hand, she pulled her hand away slowly, a sticky substance clinging to it. She spread her fingers apart to reveal a coating of red in the scanty light. Breathing hollowly, she flung off the covers of her bed. In the dim light, the sticky crimson matter seemed to ooze from her body. The bed sheets were covered in overwhelming red.

Alarmed, Erika sprinted into the nearby bathroom, the red fluid spilling from her, staining the carpet. Flicking on the lights to the bathroom, she peered into the mirror, her face a mask of horror. Her entire being was covered by this strange foreign liquid. Upon licking her lips, however, she found that it wasn't alien at all. She recognized the sweet taste of blood. Not bothering to undress, she pitched herself into the bathtub. She tried in vain for several minutes, the warm water beating down upon her. Yet no matter how hard she scrubbed at her body, her clothes, the blood would just consume her again. Frantic, Erika gave in to the sensation of horror and sunk down into the tub.

Gradually, however, the blood flowed off her shaking body to mix with the water that lapped at her sides. Taking a trembling breath, she sighed. But the sound was caught in her throat. She clasped her hands to her head as a sharp, piercing cry took the night. She gritted her teeth against the immense throbbing of her mind. As suddenly as it had come, the shriek stopped. Hair matted to her face, the drenched Erika warily looked up. And standing just outside the tub was a blood red, translucent woman. A small orb of red stone dropped noiselessly to the ground at her feet. The instant the red ball came into contact with the floor, Erika's mind became a blank.

- - -

Zander backed into the wall, hands scrabbling to find an object: anything to throw. A tall man with dazzling white hair stood above him, holding out a hand in a would-be friendly gesture. When Zander looked to see what his hand had closed open, his mouth opened in shock. Protruding from his hand were off-white, sharp fragments. He shook his hands as if to rid himself of the ugly pieces of whatever they were, but he only succeeded in having the pointy filaments puncture the tips of his fingers, creating claws.

Zander howled in agony. Not out of physical pain, but out of mental anguish. What in the seven hells was happening? he thought wildly.

The white man, towering over him, clenched his hand then opened it. A tiny white marble descended to the floor. Zander screamed from physical ache when it landed.

_Chapter 2: Acceptance_

Zander couldn't keep his eyes off his hands, now smooth and unblemished by those ugly, protruding figures. He sighed and turned his attention back to the teacher babbling on like a spring brook at the front of the classroom. He tossed his pencil aside. Math just wasn't his thing. He gave another display of his boredom, only to be rewarded by a sharp insult from the teacher.

Her fat, overbearing presence consumed him, and he wrinkled his nose in disgust. Yet again, here he was, in trouble, for sighing. He rolled his eyes. He didn't need this course to complete his senior year, he thought irritably.

"Are you listening to me?" the teacher shrieked indignantly. Little bursts of laughter erupted from the over-giggly girls in the front corner of the room.

Zander stood up. Oh, so the old brood had been talking to him. Oops, he thought without remorse. "Frankly, no." He picked up his pencil and bag, pushed past the teacher, and strode out the door. He grinned like the Cheshire Cat when he heard the teacher's undignified howl of protest.

He slunk to the library, the only place where he would probably be left alone for what remained of the class time, only to be interrupted in his reveries by a low-ego girl he thought he might know the name of.

"S-sorry!" she stammered, and rushed past him.

Zander's visions of the night before overwhelmed him. But the visions were not his own. He looked at a young girl trying to rid herself of a bloody mess. He smacked his head and turned around. The girl was staring at him in the most peculiar of fashions.

"Bone." It was a simple, if confusing statement. But Zander knew what she meant now, staring back at his hands. Those ugly protrudings had been bone.

"Blood." It was all he could say. The light in the girl's eyes danced dangerously. Then, she was gone.

Zander woke from his comatose like state when a cool touch bounced on his chest. He looked down his shirt. On a simple string lay the white marble that the mysterious man from last night had dropped. "Bone," he said stupidly and walked on.

Zander found the girl wherever he wandered. She was in his dreams and his every waking thoughts. He shook his head violently every time she uttered, "Bone," but to no avail. She was ever present, a creepy yet reassuring nature set about her. Her eyes, shining wildly, knew what he dared not name. This curse…

For many days, Zander couldn't think of anything else, yet he never saw her in flesh and blood, no matter how hard he looked. She's avoiding me! he thought indignantly.

Walking home from school many moons after their initial meeting, he found her. She was lying, slumped in the middle of the street, her shoulders heaving uncontrollably. Without thinking, he was at her side, a comforting hand placed on her shoulder.

She spasmed viciously, turning her shaking head to regard him. Zander looked beyond her to a dead cat laying haphazardly in the street. She mumbled something, a name, he guessed. He took her hands and tried to pull her up, but she would not budge. Saddened violet eyes bored deep into his, then with a blink, turned with savage intensity. She stood up suddenly, letting Zander's hands drop.

"You," she spat. Zander, taken aback, put up his hands in defense but soon realized her harsh words weren't directed at him. He swiveled his head to see the recipient of her anger. A balding man met her gaze, discontent and with a lazy smile.

"You killed him!" she shrieked, jabbing an accusing finger at the man. "You could have stopped! You killed him!" Anger coursed through her voice which was already thick with grief.

"It's just a stupid cat, girl. Get over it." He laughed and shrugged, getting back into the car that Zander had just noticed.

"I'm sorry he killed your cat, um…, whoever you are, but – " Zander's words stopped abruptly as she laid a finger on his lips to silence him.

"It wasn't my cat. It was a poor defenseless animal!"

"Look, girl," said the man, anger reddening his face.

"No!" She shook, her entire body in spasms.

The man leered for a second, then his face became a mask of terror. "What the hell?!"

Zander, confused, looked down at where the bald man was pointing at. The blood from the cat had been bundled together to form a would-be cat-proportioned thing. It staggered, obviously not used to its body. A white star winked in and out of existence in its forehead.

"Blood for blood," hissed the girl.

The thing lunged forward, colliding with the man, its head on his fat neck. Zander saw the color beginning to drain from his body.

"No, stop!" He slammed into the girl, to knock off her concentration. The cat-like blob spilled innocently to the ground, as well as a glob of the man's blood. The bald man clasped his neck and retched. With little sympathy towards others, he only noted he was still breathing.

"What did you do?" It was barely a whisper, but he knew she had heard him.

"Hoh… Nay…" With that, she collapsed into his arms.


End file.
